CH 6.1

There was nothing I could do about not being able to be with him, whom I love. He chose the mission of embracing humanity instead of our happy lives. If that’s his choice. If he’s going to do that until the end. If he’s going to die like that. If he wants to pursue love for mankind instead of his own love, I have nothing more to say.

But I’m the only one who Yohan loves. There can’t be anyone else. This certain truth should never be denied.

Every time I heard about it, my insides corroded, you see. I’m a helpless person, so I’m worn out by the endless bump. The big wound that started the corrosion occurred on the last day of the basement, when he said he loved someone other than me. The wound didn’t heal, and little by little ruined and tortured me, Tite Rivero.

People get hurt even though they know it’s a lie. What a fragile being they are. Therefore, the war with the demon hasn’t yet ended, and people cling to the Holy God, believing in unstable ceasefire agreements and limitations.

I shouted proudly. Telling to not believe the false rumors circulating in the capital.

“All the rumors circulating now are false! I’m the one the Holy Father loves!”

“There she goes again.”

“How boring.”

“What’s the Rivero family doing? Why don’t they catch the crazy girl?”

“Don’t get me started. I don’t know how good her tricks are, I heard no matter where she’s tied, no matter where she’s confined, she’ll get out.”

“It’s probably not tied properly.”

“Hush, you man. Didn’t you hear that she came to the Temple with her wrist bone exposed?”

“That’s crazy. Shouldn’t they not give her treatment?”

“She’s crazy, but she’s from the Rivero family. Besides, the Temple treats wounded people even if they’re a beggar, so how could they just ignore a crazy girl?”

Just talk as you like. I didn’t care about that kind of rumor. But I had to be the one who Yohan loved. Even if everyone, and even Yohan, denied it, it was a truth that wouldn’t change. Not only passers-by but also the priests who had to be virtuous came out and cursed me. I was proud. They are the ones at fault. They are the one being deluded. There is only one truth. Only one.

Yohan loves Tite.

If there were people who simply cursed me, there were also people who thought I was a nuisance. They couldn’t bear to see me entering their sight. They even took me to the corner and threatened me.

I bet everyone will be surprised if they find out who’s one of those frauds. Well, I don’t have to protect the honor of a fraud who drags a young girl and threatens her with force, right? One of the frauds was Cardinal Jun.

“Are you here again?”

“Happy to see you, Your Eminence the Cardinal.”

“I can’t say I’m happy, Young Lady Rivero. I think I can say I’m happy on the day I don’t see you in front of the Temple.”

“You won’t be happy onwards, then.”

“What on earth is the Rivero family doing?!”

Cardinal Jun, who said that, was the one who treated me when I was shaking with my wrist bone exposed. Throughout his treatment of me with the divine power from the Holy God, he spoke ill of my family and my name, not praising the Holy God. It was okay to insult me. I could bear it because it originated from my love. But it was painful for my family to get insulted because of my love.

“Your Eminence. It’s okay to insult me, but please don’t insult my family.”

“If you don’t want your family to be insulted, shouldn’t you take care of yourself on your own?”

“I can’t. It’s impossible. Your Eminence, I know that His Holiness the Pope loves me, so what can I do… He must be in pain from repressing and denying his love, so how could I turn a blind eye to it?”

“You’re crazy and run wild.”

Cardinal Jun touched his forehead as if he was suffering more.

A few days later, Cardinal Jun beckoned me when I was wandering in front of the Temple. That person was rude for treating me like a child. It made me feel really weird watching it.

Why do people treat a crazy girl like a little child?

Of course, I’m not crazy, but if my behavior, my attitude, my argument, was like a madman to them, they would have treated me like a madman. And I’m the eldest daughter of the Rivero family. I grew up with an education suitable for an eldest daughter. Before turning 14, Tite Rivero was only a child, but even to that child, people were polite and treated her accordingly. But I was three years older and the way people treated me went against time.

Young Lady Rivero. People who used to call me that, called me by name lightly, Tite, like calling a puppy. They casually talked about difficult and scary stories that they couldn’t bring up in front of others. Because I’m crazy? Do they look down on the intelligence of a crazy person as a child?

I went off topic too far. Anyway, Cardinal Jun called me like calling a child, like calling a puppy rolling around with its back on the floor. I didn’t want to respond to such a rude call, but I had to. Because the place where Cardinal Jun beckoned me was inside the Temple. The holy knights blocked me, but Cardinal Jun said it was okay.

“I have something to show her.”

“Understood, sir.”

“She will know the reality when she sees it.”

Cardinal Jun said he’d let me sneak a look at Yohan. He said I should watch it quietly and secretly instead. He said if I made a fuss and ran to Yohan again, he’d put me in jail. He said that Yohan now is not His Eminence the Cardinal anymore, but His Holiness the Pope, so even the Rivero family could not save me.

I nodded without hesitation. Because he can see me if I can see him. He’ll notice the way I look at him. Because he loves me.